1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyance device, an image-forming device, and a medium conveyance method, and particularly, to a medium conveyance technology by which a sheet medium is conveyed along an arc-shaped path.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image-forming device such as a printing device, a technology for conveying a sheet (medium) using conveyance means such as a barrel (impression cylinder or transfer cylinder) or a chain gripper is known. In the conveyance using the barrel, a leading end portion of the sheet is held using a holding member referred to as a gripper, and the sheet is rotated and conveyed along a rotation path of the barrel.
In addition, in the conveyance using the chain gripper, the leading end portion of the sheet is held using a gripper attached to a pair of chains or a gripper disposed between a pair of chains, and the sheet is conveyed along the path of the chain.
In JP2009-285877A, JP2012-131065A, and JP2011-168019A, ink jet recording apparatuses are disclosed which include a plurality of impression cylinders and a transfer cylinder which transfers a medium between the impression cylinders as conveyance means of the medium (recording medium). The ink jet recording apparatus disclosed in JP2009-285877A includes injection means for injecting drying air to a medium, and negative-pressure means for suctioning a portion of the drying air while adsorbing a rear surface of the medium.
The ink jet recording apparatus disclosed in JP2012-131065A includes a drying unit which blows hot air so as to dry a medium (recording medium) which is conveyed using a drawing cylinder, and the dry unit is provided in a transfer cylinder. The dry unit disclosed in JP2012-131065A is fixed to a shaft which is rotatably attached around a rotation axis of the transfer cylinder, and it is possible to change a blowing direction of the hot air by rotating the shaft.
In addition, JP2012-131065A discloses that drying capability of the drying unit is adjusted so as to be optimal according to a kind of the medium (thick medium or thin medium).
The ink jet recording apparatus disclosed in JP2011-168019A includes cooling means for cooling a medium (recording medium) from when drawing is performed on the medium by a drawing unit until the medium is conveyed to a drying unit. In addition, this ink jet recording apparatus includes a ribbed guide member which bends a rear surface side of the medium so as to be convex and conveys the medium, and a hole through which cold air is released is provided in the ribbed guide member.